


superboy and the invisible girl

by clovekentwell



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alive Beryl Grace, Dead Jason Grace, Gen, Poetry, Post-The Tower of Nero (Trials of Apollo), Starting Over, had to throw in some theyna as well, thalia grace is the most interesting minor character i will die on this hill like she did, throwing in some
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:27:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29189286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clovekentwell/pseuds/clovekentwell
Summary: thalia goes home after learning about jason's death.
Relationships: Artemis & Thalia Grace, Beryl Grace & Jason Grace & Thalia Grace, Jason Grace & Thalia Grace, Thalia Grace/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

> didnt have it in me to write an entire grace family next to normal au so here's a short poem fic in attempt to get superboy and the invisible girl out of my head because this song was WRITTEN FOR THE GRACE SIBLINGS I TELL YOU

lady artemis —

i hope you understand it is my duty as not only your lieutenant but as a daughter, sister, and half-blood doing her best that i must do this. if it wasn't necessary, i wouldn't be going.  
but it is.  
shots have been missed (both figuratively and literally) and it is my responsibility to make sure they reach their targets once more. here is the brave, true, young woman you put all your faith in. please, do it once more and let me finish what needs to be done.  
i'll be back. if you welcome me, that is. i fear i have lost too much, yet i fear there is still more to lose.

-t.g.

_(found in a stake under artemis, goddess of the hunt's, tent.)_

my love —  
you asked about leaps of faith?  
here you go, daughter of bellona.  
how much do you trust me?

-t.g.

_(found under lieutenants tiara.)_

* * *

early sunday morning, the girl who is a tree with no roots disappears from the earth.  
no one went looking for her, because how could she have done such a thing?  
disappeared?  
they needed her.  
it was not that they couldn't search for her.  
it was that they didn't want to.  
she regrets it now, not chasing after him all those years.  
something should've told her that he was still alive, remaining.  
immortal.  
she gets it now.  
there is nothing worse than the desperate need to start over, while wishing  
someone out there wants who even you don't:  
the person you were before.  
and maybe someone does.  
but maybe someone was counting on you leaving to make things a bit more easier.  
once again.  
  


* * *

with the crown on her head, she is a queen.  
she has begun again.  
she notices how well the silver slides into her dark hair, how her arrows slide well into her targets.  
she's hit more than the target on this one.  
 _bullseye.  
_ she has begun again.

* * *

before the rest wake up, she starts a small fire.  
she knows she should throw the crown in and watch it melt like quicksand.  
instead, she tosses in the piece of paper with her true love's script   
dancing across its lines,  
ashamed,  
that this is the kindling that will keep her warm.  
that this is the risk she is willing to take.

* * *

she's supposed to be the big sister. but she wants to talk to him so badly it kills her. she needs his advice.  
her baby brother.  
he grew while her lifetime was botched and broken with promises unkept and dreams stricken by grief and bolts of lightning.  
and then it all stopped. all of it.  
though it's only her body, she would've never reached 16 if she hadn't left tonight. he will be 16 forever.  
so how different are they?

* * *

different enough for her to be doing this, and him to be doing whatever he does now.

* * *

when he got the first name back  
the first face  
the first taste  
the first snapshot of the barrack ceiling he stared at, night after night  
wishing he could see right through the foundation at the stars,  
wishing to become the hero,  
wishing to become the hercules he was meant to be,  
wishing to become that superboy who could magically appear,  
disappear,  
go wherever he wanted.  
a boy who was free.  
jason grace. a free boy.  
how confusing.  
she wonders,  
when he got it all back,  
was he glad that once upon too short a time,  
the only thing he saw when he looked up, under the shrine of new york, were stars?   
(does he still see them now, she wonders?)  
he did finally get it;  
a chance to start over.  
maybe that's why he never went back.  
maybe.  
there was so much they didn't get the chance to talk about.  
and they never will.

* * *

it was not that they couldn't search for her.  
it was that they didn't want to.  
or that they just wanted their invisible girl to drift back home,  
for the sole reason that they needed  
a sign that she had not  
in fact  
faded away.


	2. ii

what do you mean he's gone? i know that. and i'm sorry.  
he's gone. jason is dead.  
he's not dead. i know what happened to him.  
i do too. you missed so much. i'm sorry, i'm sorry—  
no, don't be sorry. he's not dead.  
he is, mom.  
no, he's not.   
how would you know?  
because he visits me.  
no, beryl—  
you can call me mom. and don't try and tell me what i do and don't know. i would know if my own son was dead.  
you never bothered about your daughter though.  
thalia—  
didn't you?

* * *

_superboy and the invisible girl_

_son of steel and daughter of air_

_he's a hero, a lover, a prince._

_(she's not there.)_

* * *

last winter, he went missing from camp jupiter. that was where he lived all these years after you gave him up.  
and he was great there, wasn't he?  
yeah, no, he was amazing, i'm sure. i have no true way of knowing—  
don't be smart with me, thalia.  
mom. he's gone. he's dead. i don't know why... why you're in denial.  
he's not dead, thalia. i am his mother. he came back for me, in april? like i always knew he would.  
mom, ghosts are not real.  
he's not a ghost. he's my _son._  
sure.

* * *

_superboy and the invisible girl_

_he's the one you wish would appear_

_he's your hero, forever your son,_

_he's not here._

_(i am here.)_

* * *

i didn't come here to fight.  
then tell me, thalia, why did you come here?  
because i needed my mother.

but she cares more about the dead son she left than her own fucking daughter sitting right in front of her.  
thalia, that is not true. you are my pride and joy. the only thing i've done right. you are strong and capable. you told me yourself what you were granted from the gods! i'm not worried about you, dear.

  
then _why?  
_ why what?  
why don't you love me?  
you know i love you.

i love you as much as i can.

* * *

late sunday, tucked into a spare bedroom, a girl exists right in front of her mother.  
physically small.  
emotionally big.  
alive.  
breathing.  
and yet the only thing she thinks of is her little boy,  
her superboy,  
her hero,  
her beautiful son,  
who was a superboy, hero, beautiful son.  
who's not there.


End file.
